Neocatechumenals, a surprise phone-call from the Pope to 800 seminarians

Francis called Kiko Argüello during a meeting in the center of Porto San Giorgio: “Look to the Lord”. The Way reiterated esteem and affection for the Pope

Pope Francis with the initiator of the Neocatechumenal Way, Kiko Argüello

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Pubblicato il
13/09/2018

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“Shhh , there is the Holy Father». In the center of the Neocatechumenal Way of Porto San Giorgio, in the Marches, a meeting was held with about 1,200 people between rectors and seminarians, when the initiator Kiko Argüello received a surprise call from Pope Francis. “Thank you, Holiness, we love you so much. Let’s applaud! “Kiko exclaimed, putting the phone on loudspeaker and bringing it close to the microphone so everyone could hear the Pope’s voice “Tell us a word”.

The Pope greeted all those present and recommended: “Always look to the Lord. ahead!”. Then, while the assembly remained silent, waiting for the Pope to continue, Francis did not hear from the other end of the line and said: “Do you understand?” Between the laughter and a new, prolonged, applause the answer was a resounding: “Yes!”

“Thank you Father ... You give us great consolation. We are here with 120 rectors and all the seminars, it’s beautiful! All full of enthusiasm and willing to give their lives for the Church”, Kiko told the Pope, reiterating his affection and esteem for him, after the attacks received in recent weeks, on behalf of all the members of the Neocatechumenal Way.

At the meeting of Porto San Giorgio, guided not only by Argüello but also by María Ascension Romero and father Mario Pezzi, responsible for the international team, there were also 11 bishops, itinerant catechists of the nations where the Redemptoris Mater seminaries are located, numerous priests , seminarians with a few years of training and others who will start their journey towards the priesthood in one of these diocesan and missionary institutes. Currently, 122 Redemptoris Mater seminars are held around the world, the last two being erected in recent months in Colombia and the Dominican Republic.

The meeting in the Marches ended on Sunday 9 September with a Mass celebrated by Father Pezzi who, in his homily, addressed especially young people encouraging them to “not worry about the future and not be afraid to let themselves be led by Jesus Christ”. Kiko also intervened at the end of the celebration by inviting future priests to read and scrutinize the word of God every day and “to announce the Kerygma”, because “this is what really heals people”.

After the great event presided over by the Pope last May 5 in Rome, in the Tor Vergata esplanade, for the fifty years since the birth of the first Neocatechumenal communities in the Capital, the Cammino organized two international vocational meetings in Italy and Spain last August .

The first took place on August 12 in Rome, at the Circus Maximus, as part of the pilgrimage organized by the CEI for boys and girls from every diocese of Italy in view of the October Synod. The young people of the Neocatechumenal itinerary - about 12,000 - took part in the events on the calendar: the Saturday evening prayer vigil presided over by the Pope and the Sunday morning meeting in St. Peter’s Square. In the afternoon, they then found themselves again at the Circus Maximus, where the vicar of Rome, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, was waiting for them. On that occasion - informs a note from the Neocatechumenal Way - about 200 boys, a hundred girls and families became available, respectively, to enter the seminary, embrace the consecrated life or leave on mission.

Instead, around 300 boys, 300 girls and 200 families responded to the “vocational call” in the meeting that took place a few weeks later, on 26 August, in San Pedro del Pinatar, in Murcia (Spain). In total, over 25,000 boys and girls from not only Spain, but also from Portugal and other European countries attended the meeting presided over by the bishop of the diocese of Cartagena José Manuel Lorca Planes.